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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22659967">The Noblest of Motives</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hurricaneredd/pseuds/hurricaneredd'>hurricaneredd</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And if/when I continue this it'll only get more explicitly stated, Gen, I definitely had that ship in mind when writing this, Look Miri first got me to ship 'em &amp; the rsb has only fed my growing love for these two, Wilde/Zolf if you squint really hard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:00:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>410</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22659967</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hurricaneredd/pseuds/hurricaneredd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Wilde's about to meet with the Harlequins for the first time since the world's gone to hell, and he doesn't know what to expect.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Noblest of Motives</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/CWoodP/gifts">kimabutch (CWoodP)</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/hgb/gifts">hgb</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The full quote that the title's taken from is “Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives." It felt very fitting to use an Oscar Wilde quote, especially this one.</p><p>This is entirely Charlie's and Heather's fault.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Each step he takes towards the building brings him one step closer to his potential demise. He knows how they feel about him and his kind, knows what they think of him. He's surprised they even agreed to hear him out in the first place, and yet there's a gnawing sense of dread in the pit of his stomach, though he refuses to let anyone see it.</p><p>Eventually he makes it to the meeting room, and he's left standing outside it, waiting for them to call him in, waiting for them to <em>deign</em> him with their presence.</p><p>His nerves are all alight, tension winding 'round him so tightly he could practically snap in half with the slightest of breezes. He clenches his fist by his side for a brief moment before forcibly relaxing his grip. Fingers splayed just a little too wide as he brushes a hand down his coat, he wonders if they're enjoying making him wait.</p><p>He doesn't know how much time's passed since the aid alerted the Harlequins to his presence. That's not a particular skill of his, really, but he thinks it's been an unnecessary wait, and he can't help but wonder if they were getting some sort of perverse sense of pleasure out of all of this.</p><p>A meritocratic officer willingly walking into the makeshift office of a Harlequin stronghold and offering a truce? Months ago the idea would've been laughable, but now—now that the world's gone to hell and the Meritocrats have abandoned all of them, none of it seems surprising.</p><p>The door opens with a creak, and internally he cringes. Is that the sound of his impending doom? Maybe.</p><p>(He can't really say he'd blame any of them, if he were being honest with himself. He made a living off of hunting their kind down and taking them in. It's only fitting. He tries not to be so honest with himself at this moment, though.)</p><p>Steeling himself for whatever's to come, Wilde takes long, confident steps towards the room, shoulders squared back and chin defiantly lifted. If he's to die, he'll do so on his terms.</p><p>It's not until he finally crosses the threshold and takes two steps inside that he notices the familiar piercing green gaze, and Wilde can’t help but let out the slightest sighs of relief. If Zolf’s here, if he’s working with the Harlequins, then maybe—just <em>maybe</em>—there’s a chance that he’ll walk out of here alive.</p>
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